The Songfic Series
by HATBC
Summary: A "book" of songfics about Harm and Mac's life through the years. Updated - 4/10/10
1. I Loved Her First

Hello, all.

I began writing some of these stories last year, and I just thought I would share them. I hope you enjoy them.

**JAG - I Loved Her First **

_Summary – Harm and Mac's daughter gets married. ___

_Rating – K ___

_Disclaimer –I do not own JAG or "I Loved Her First", I'm only barrowing them for a short while. ___

_A/N – Every time I hear this song, I think of Harm and the daughter that I believe he and Mac have. _

"Harm," Mac spoke softly as the two of them were just about to step onto the dance floor.

"Hmm?" Harm asked.

"Look over there," she pointed to where their daughter and son-in-law were dancing.

_**Look at the two of you dancing that way **__**  
**__**Lost in the moment and each others face **__**  
**__**So much in love your alone in this place **__**  
**__**Like there's nobody else in the world**_

"Mac, do you remember when we were all she needed? God, it seems like yesterday when I first taught her how to ride a bike."

_**I was enough for her not long ago **__**  
**__**I was her number one **__**  
**__**She told me so**_

"You taught Tina a lot of things. I bet that if you didn't take her flying when she was thirteen, the generations of the Rabb Naval aviators would have ended with you. Every time she puts on those gold wings she'll think of you."

"Or little girl is all grown up, Sarah."

"It's hard to believe; isn't it?"

_**And she still means the world to me **__**  
**__**Just so you know **__**  
**__**So be careful when you hold my girl**_

"Mark's a pretty decent guy," Harm continued. "She made a good choice."

"That's funny, because as I recall you didn't like him at first," Mac commented as she draped her arms around her husband's neck.

"Well, you didn't like him either."

"That's right," Mac agreed. "As far I was concerned he was just another squid."

"Quit calling us Navy guys "squids"," Harm said playfully.

_**Time changes everything **__**  
**__**Life must go on **__**  
**__**And I'm not gonna stand in your way**_

***Flashback ***

Mac watched carefully as Harm held their newborn daughter, Christina, for the first time. "She gorgeous!" The new mother exclaimed as she examined all ten fingers and toes for the first time.

"And absolutely perfect," Harm added.

***End Flashback ***

_**But I loved her first and I held her first **__**  
**__**And a place in my heart will always be hers **__**  
**__**From the first breath she breathed **__**  
**__**When she first smiled at me **__**  
**__**I knew the love of a father runs deep**_

***Flashback ***

"Good night, sweet baby girl," Mac said as she gently put Tina into her crib.

"Sleep well," Harm said before kissing his daughter goodnight. "Mommy and Daddy love you."

"I hope that Tina will be in our places someday," Mac said as turned on the nightlight and flipped off the ceiling light. "I want her to have what we have."

"Me too, me too."

***End Flashback ***

_**And I prayed that she'd find you someday **__**  
**__**But it still hard to give her away **__**  
**__**I loved her first**_

Harm looked over at his daughter and her new husband. "She looks so much like you, Mac."

Mac smiled, "My looks and your brains."

_**How could that beautiful woman with you **__**  
**__**Be the same freckle face kid that I knew**_

***Flashback ***

"Are you ready for bed yet?" Mac asked.

Six year – old Tina looked up from her coloring book. "Where's Daddy?"

Mac entered the room and sat in the rocking chair. "He's running a little late at work."

"But it's his turn to read me a bedtime story, Mommy."

"How about I read you a story tonight and Daddy can read you a story tomorrow."

"Okay."

"Which book?"

"Cinderella! Cinderella!"

Tina sat next to her mother and listened as Mac began to read. Near the end of the story, Mac looked up when she left that someone was watching them.

"Tina, look who's here."

Tina jumped off of her mother's lap and ran into Harm's arms. "Daddy!"

"Oh, I missed you," Harm said as he picked her up.

"Tina, would you like it if Daddy finished the story up while I go heat his dinner up?"

"Okay."

Mac marked the page in the book and placed it on the nightstand.

"Night, night, Mommy," Tina said as she kissed her goodnight.

***End Flashback ****

_**The one that I read all those fairy tales to **__**  
**__**And tucked into bed all those nights**_

"Now, I know that neither one of us liked Mark at first," Harm started, "but did you see the look they had in their eyes; when she first brought him home?"

"Yeah, but I didn't want to accept it at first. I wasn't ready to let go yet."

"Neither was I."

_**And I knew the first time I saw you with her **__**  
**__**It was only a matter of time**_

"Ladies and gentlemen," the DJ said over the microphone. "I have a request from the bride, there's two parts. She wants me to play "I Loved Her First"; the other half of her request is that her father dances with her. So, Captain Rabb, make your way to the middle of the dance floor."

"Go on, Harm," Mac said. "I'll go get the camera."

Harm made his way to the center of the dance floor and smiled when he saw Tina waiting for him.

_**But I loved her first and I held her first **__**  
**__**And a place in my heart will always be hers **__**  
**__**From the first breath she breathed **__**  
**__**When she first smiled at me **__**  
**__**I knew the love of a father runs deep **__**  
**__**And I prayed that she'd find you someday **__**  
**__**But its still hard to give her away **__**  
**__**I loved her first**_

"You look wonderful," Harm whispered in Tina's ear once they started to dance.

"Thanks, Dad. – Thank you for everything. I don't know what I would without you and Mom."

"We're so proud of you."

"Oh," Tina said softly as a tear rolled down her cheek. "I don't know why I'm crying. I guess it's because I'm so happy."

"Hey, come here," Harm wiped the tear away. "If you keep that up you're gonna make _me_ cry."

Tina wrapped her arms around him and gave him a hug, "Oh, Daddy, I love you so much."

"I loved you since day one, Tina, and I always will."

At a loss for words, Tina was only able to smile.

_**From the first breath she breathed **__**  
**__**When she first smiled at me **__**  
**__**I knew the love of a father runs deep **__**  
**__**Someday you might know what I'm going through **__**  
**__**When a miracle smiles up at you **__**  
**__**I loved her first**_

****  
"I Loved Her First" by Heartland


	2. All American Girl

**All American Girl **

**Disclaimer: **_Nope. I don't own `em. Come to think of it, I don't own the song either. ___

_This story involves my Rabb family from "I Loved Her First". So, yes. I guess this is a sequel. However, not everything matches one hundred percent to my first fanfic. I'm going to do what they do in Hollywood and ignore it…we'll call it an "Author's Privilege". __;-)___

_Rating: K ___

_Summary: Tina and her husband, Mark, are going to have their first baby. As Harm awaits the arrival of his grandchild, he reflects on the past, present and future. ___

- - -

The bright fluorescent lights in the waiting room of the Bethesda Naval Hospital were buzzing as Captain Rabb plopped down on one of the chairs. He was anxiously awaiting the arrival of his first grandchild.

*** Flashback 1 ***

Mac had just finished lighting the candles on the dinner table. Then she began her mental check list. Music – check. Candles – check. Table set – check. Dinner ready – check. One handsome sailor – MIA. Where was he? And how come he's never on time? Well, she reasoned, it's not like he actually knew she had a romantic dinner planned.

Exactly six minutes and thirty-seven seconds later, the front door opened. "Honey, I'm..." He walked in the dinning room and the table was all set and heard the soft music playing in the background. "...home," he finished. "What's all this? Did I forget something? It's not Valentine's Day...or your birthday...or my birthday...or our anniversary. Is it?" he asked alarmed.

"Relax," she calmed him, "you didn't forget anything. You're too good of a husband to forget."

"Then why all this?" he used his hands to gesture to the table.

Mac shrugged. "Because."

"Because why?"

"Later," she whispered. "I'll tell you later."

"Aww, come on, Mac. What if I guess? Will you tell me if I'm right?"

She thought about it for a moment. "Okay. I'd tell you if you guess correctly. Take your seat, but first give me your jacket." He took of his uniform jacket and handed it to her. He watched as she open the coat closet and hung it up. When she returned, she pulled out her chair, sat down and began to eat. Shortly after, Mac looked up from her food. "What?" she asked after noticing that he hasn't moved. "Aren't you gonna join me?"

"Yeah...yeah." Harm sat down and began moving the food around on his plate rather than eating it. "Did you win a big case?"

"No, not really."

It was silent. Then all of the sudden it hit him. "I know!" He exclaimed. "I know what all of this is about."

Mac swallowed a bite of food. "Y-you do?" This wasn't the way she wanted him to find out – she wanted to tell him at her own time. After dinner, perhaps, since that was "Plan A".

"Yeah! You're getting promoted - to full Colonel!"

Where on God's green Earth did that come from?! Mac wondered. "Not exactly, but I am getting "promoted"...in a sense." She continued to eat, but she stopped when he felt her husband starring at her. "You're not gonna let this go, are you?"

"Only if you tell me what's going on."

"Okay." She had to improvise quickly since he was messing up her plan. "Excuse me," she said as she stood up from the table. "I'll be right back." And with that, she went upstairs leaving one very confused Commander at the dining room table.

Mac went upstairs to the guest bathroom and put the pregnancy test she took not too long ago in a Ziploc lock bag before returning downstairs.

"Here," she whispered.

Harm took the bag and looked it over. It wasn't until he turned it over and saw that the little white stick had a plus sign on it when he added it together. "Mac." He was at a loss for words. "Is this what I..."

"Yes," she nodded. "Yes!" In spite of the happy tears were streaming down her face, she laughed and the corners of her mouth turned into a smile. "I'm pregnant!"

"For sure...?"

She nodded. "I took the test yesterday and the doctor confirmed it today, and call me crazy, but I took another one a little while ago…just to make sure. It still all seems so surreal."

"I...you... we're gonna have a baby!" he laughed. "Come here," Harm said as he pulled her into his lap and gave her a very passionate kiss on the lips. "I love you so much." Mac sniffled and Harm thumbed away his wife's tears. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"Nothing is wrong. Everything is absolutely perfect, I love you." She pressed her face against his chest and temporally didn't care about the tears that would land on his uniform. "Thank you," she murmured.

_**Since the day they got married **__**  
**__**He'd been praying for a little baby **__**  
**__**boy **__**  
**__**Someone he could take fishing **__**  
**__**Throw the football and be his pride in joy **__**  
**__**He could already see him holding that trophy **__**  
**__**Taking his team to state**_

*** End Flashback 1 ***

*** Flashback 2 ***

"Would you like to do the honors, Dad, and cut the cord?" the doctor asked Harm.

Mac let go of his hand. "Go on. I know you want to."

"And what about you, Mom?" The doctor started again. "Would you like to know the sex of your baby now or would you rather wait and have your husband tell you?"

"I want Harm to tell me."

Although she couldn't see his face due to the medical mask, Mac was sure the doctor was smiling. "Somehow I figured that."

Harm quickly planted another kiss on his wife's forehead, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw the nurse pull a pink blanket out from the cabinet. That was when something inside of him clicked and he knew he was meant to have a daughter. Harm left Mac's side and went to the foot of the bed.

"Here," the doctor instructed as he pointed to where Harm should make the cut.

He smiled when he got to see his daughter for the first time. "She's beautiful; Mac…looks just like you."

"She? We-we have a daughter?"

"Yeah," he grinned. "We have a beautiful baby girl."

_**But when the nurse came in with a little pink blanket **__**  
**__**All those big dreams changed **_

*** End Flashback 2 ***

*** Flashback 3 ***

Four year-old Tina was sitting happily at the kitchen table coloring in her Elmo coloring book. She was wearing her "Marine" t-shirt and "Navy" shorts. Mac, still in uniform, was sitting across from her working on some files. Harm enjoyed the scene so much that he just stood there for a minute and watched.

Tina looked up from her task. "Daddy!" She carefully climbed out of her booster chair and ran to her father.

"Hi, beautiful." He picked her up. "How are my two girls this afternoon?" he asked before giving Mac a kiss.

"Hungry." She answered with a smile.

"What do you want for dinner?"

"Tina, tell Daddy what you told me you wanted."

"French fries! From Beltway Burger!"

"Tina, did Mommy tell you to say that?"

She laughed. "That's silly, Daddy. _I_ want `em. Please, pretty please." She gave him the puppy dog look.

He sighed. "Okay, I guess so."

"Yay!"

_**And now, he's wrapped around her finger **__**  
**__**She's the center of his whole world **__**  
**__**And his heart belongs to that sweet, little, beautiful, wonderful, perfect **__**  
**__**All American girl**_

*** End Flashback 3 ***

*** Flashback 4 ***

"Mom! Dad!" Tina called. "Anyone home?"

"We're out back, sweetie," Mac responded.

"Come on, Mark," she whispered. "I have someone I want you guys to meet!"  
Tina pulled Mark through the kitchen and out to the deck. "Mom, Dad, this  
is Mark. Mark, these are my parents, Harm and Sarah Rabb."

"Mr. and Mrs. Rabb, Tina has told me so much about you."

"She hasn't t--" Harm started before Mac cut him off.

"It's very nice to meet you," Mac said as she gave Tina a " we'll - talk - about - this - later" look.

_**Sixteen short years later **__**  
**__**She was falling for the senior football star **__**  
**_

*** End Flashback 3 ***

*** Flashback 4 ***

The doorbell rang.

"I'll get it!" Tina announced as she made her way to the front door. "Mark!" she exclaimed. "I thought there was football practice tonight."

"There is."

"Why aren't you there?"

"Because I couldn't concentrate. All I could do was think about you."

_**Before you knew it he was dropping passes **__**  
**__**Skipping practice just to spend more time with her**_

*** End Flashback 4 ***

*** Flashback 5 ***

_**The coach said, hey son what is your problem **__**  
**__**Tell me have you lost your mind **__**  
**__**Daddy said you'll lose your free ride to college **__**  
**__**Boy, you better tell her goodbye**_

"Can I talk to you for a minute?"

Tina looked up from her books and saw Mark standing above her. "Now?" she  
whispered.

"Yeah…outside, though."

"Okay." Tina gathered her books up and they exited the library.

"We need to talk," Mark said quickly.

"Uh-oh. I don't think I like the sound of that."

"I don't know how to say this."

"Spill it." She crossed her arms.

"We've been spending a lot of time together…and…in result my game has been  
off. See, there's a guy coming next week, and if I don't impress him, I'll  
lose my football scholarship."

"Oh," she said flatly.

"I don't think we should hang that much for a while."

*** End Flashback 5 ***

*** Flashback 6 ***

Two weeks later, Tina was walking the dog when she heard a familiar voice call her name. She turned around. "I have nothing to say to you, Mark."

"Then just hear me out."

She sighed. "Fine."

"I got the scholarship."

She turned around and started to walk away. "Good for you."

"But wait."

Hesitantly, Tina stopped and turned around.

"I'm not gonna take it."

"Why?"

He looked her in the eye. "You know the reason."

_**But now, he's wrapped around her finger **__**  
**__**She's the center of his whole world **__**  
**__**And his heart belongs to that sweet, little, beautiful, wonderful, perfect **__**  
**__**All American**_

*** End Flashback 6 ***

Present Day

Tina laid her head back against the pillow. "Mark…can I… ask you something?" she asked between breaths.

"Anything you want."

"You'll be honest with me, right?"

"Of course."

"Do you want a boy or a girl?"

He smiled. "That's easy."

_**And when they got married and decided to have one of their own **__**  
**__**She said, be honest, tell me what you want **__**  
**__**And he said, honey you outta know **__**  
**__**A sweet, little, beautiful one just like you **__**  
**__**I want a beautiful, wonderful, perfect All American **_

*** The Future ***

Tina, Mac, and Emily entered the Rabb home. Tina took off her daughter's jacket and shoes before telling her to go say hello to her Papa and Daddy. "Emily, baby, do you still have that birthday list you made at the toy store today?"

The five-year old nodded her head proudly. "Yes, I do!"

"Why don't you go show that to Daddy and Papa."

"Okay!" She trotted in to the kitchen to where her grandfather and father were cooking dinner. "Daddy, guess whats!"

Mark turned around and smiled at his daughter. "Oh, I don't know. "Whats" should I guess?"

"I made a birthday list!"

"Another one?" he asked.

"Yep. I wanna puppy, a new Barbie, a hula hoop, a jump rope, a kitty…"

"So I guess that means you don't want that airplane anymore, huh?"

She shook her head. "I still want that."

"Emily," Harm started. "You have hundreds of airplanes."

"But I wanna real one like you and Mommy have!"

_**Now, he's wrapped around her finger **__**  
**__**She's the center of his whole world **__**  
**__**And his heart belongs to that sweet, little, beautiful, wonderful **__**  
**__**All American girl **__**  
**__**All American girl**_

*** ***

Present Day

"Hey, there, sailor." Harm snapped out of his daydream to find Mac standing in front of him with a cup of coffee. "I thought you might like this."

"Thanks," he smiled as she sat down next to him and rested her head on his shoulder. "How's Tina?"

"She's doing well. Mark said it shouldn't be much longer now."

"This sure brings back memories, Mac."

"Yes, it does. Is that what you were just thinking about – the day Tina was born?"

"Yeah…and a whole lot more."

There was a pause. "Harm?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you think we'll have a grandson or a granddaughter?"

"A granddaughter," he stated matter-of-factly.

Mac stretched out her neck so that she could see his face. "You're pretty certain about that."

"Grandpas know these things," he said with a smile.

- - -


	3. Sleeping With The Telephone Pt 1

**Sleeping With The Telephone**

_Disclaimer: I still don't own `em or the song. This song isn't in this part. __  
__Rating: K+ ___

_Summary: Mark, now a Navy doctor, gets new orders, and Tina, an American History teacher at Annapolis, struggles to deal with them. As always, Harm and Mac are there to help her and Emily through it. ___

_This idea has been swimming around since my cousin left for overseas and I've been putting it off._

Oldies that I forgot to post….I'll get caught up!

"Commander Rabb," someone called. "You have a phone call on line two; it's Commander Tate."

Tina looked up from the paperwork on her desk. "Thank you, Ensign. You're dismissed."

"Aye, aye, ma'am."

Tina picked up the phone with a smile on her face. After all, who wouldn't be happy when they got a surprise call from their husband? "This is Commander Rabb."

"It's me, honey," Mark started.

Right away, she knew something was wrong. Their work calls were kept strictly work related. "Mark, what's wrong?"

"We need to talk."

"Can't this wait until we get home?"

"Tina," his voice held and unfamiliar edge. "_Now._"

She put her pen down, and began twirling the phone cord in her hand. "O…kay."

"I've received new orders."

"We're moving?" She knew it could happen, but it was something she thought would never happen to them. She pictured herself and Mark being like her parents – they never received new orders, and they even retired together. That was what she wanted.

"Not us…me."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"I'm going overseas."

Tina could've sworn her heart skipped a beat..or two…or three. "What?" her voice barely above a whisper. "W-why? Where? H-how long?"

"Iraq," he answered; his voice was equally as soft. "I don't know how long, and I'm going because there is a shortage of military doctors and they need me."

Tina's world seemed to have stopped. This was the call that every military officer and their spouse hated to get. She swallowed – trying to find her voice. "When?"

"In six hours." She looked at the time on her computer – at 9pm her husband would be on a plane flying to God knows what kind of danger. Mark continued, "Can you pick Emily up? I need to see you guys."

"Yeah, of course. We'll be home in a half hour. I love you."

"I love you, too." _Code three in ICU_ came over the PA. "I gotta run. I'll be home ASAP." (click) The line went dead and Tina put her head in her hands.

- - -

Forty-five minutes later, Tina entered the house with four year-old Emily on her hip. "Well, Em, what do you want to do while we wait for Daddy?"

"Elmo!" she exclaimed as she pointed to the books on t he coffee table.

Tina sat on the couch and put Emily on her lap. "Elmo it is."

Halfway through, Emily looked up when she noticed that her mother had stopped reading. "Momma?"

Tina wiped her eyes with a rolled up tissue, "Yes, baby?"

"Mommy sad?" Emily reached up and touched Tina's face.

"Yes…yes. Mommy is very sad."

"Why?"

Whoa, Christina thought. She knew this would happen sooner or later, but she still wasn't prepared to explain what was happening to a child. So she did the only thing she could think of – change the subject. "Why don't we go upstairs and take a nap?"

- - -

Tina's emotions were getting the best of her, and she ended up falling asleep shortly after her head touched the pillow. Emily, however, wasn't tired and silently slipped out of her mother's embrace so that she could got maker her mommy a snack in the hopes that after giving it to her, she wouldn't be sad anymore.

Once in the kitchen, Emily pushed a chair to the pantry and carefully pulled out a box of Cheerios. Then she pulled the chair over to the countertop and climbed up to get the bowl out of the cupboard. She continued by dumping as much cereal as she could into the bowl before she remembered that she needed some milk. So, she carefully climbed down from the counter and dragged the chair back over to the refrigerator. She frowned when she opened the door and realized that the milk was out of her reach. So she got something else that she could reach – orange juice. Emily returned to the counter and poured the juice over the dry cereal. Pleased with her task, Emily smiled and left it on the counter while she went to the other room and waited for Tina to come downstairs.

Ten minutes later, Mark entered the house and saw Emily sitting alone on the couch. "Hi, baby. Where's Mommy?" he asked.

At the sound of her father's voice, Emily's head snapped up. "Ssh. Mommy's sleeeeping."

"She's sleeping?"

Emily nodded. "She cried-ed, too." Her eyes began to water. "I promise I was a good girl, Daddy. I didn't do anything bad." She extended her arms signaling that she wanted to be held.

Mark picked her up. "It's okay. I know why Mommy is sad, and I also know that you were a very good girl."

"Then why Mommy sad?" Emily wiped her eyes. "Did you make her sad?"

Ever since he found out about his TAD, Mark mentally prepared what he would say to Emily, but now that the time came, everything he had practiced flew out the window. "Um, well, Mommy is sad because Daddy has to go away for awhile."

"Where?"

"On the other side of the ocean."

"That's far," Emily began playing with a ribbon on Mark's uniform. "Why?"

"To help make sick soldiers better so that they can come home."

"I don't want you to go, Daddy."

"I don't want to leave either, precious."

There was a pause. "I know! Papa can tell them you don't want to go and then you can stay with me and Mommy!"

Mark chuckled, for only being four years-old, Emily fully understood that her grandparents outranked her parents. "It's not that easy, Em. I have to go."

"I'm gonna miss you…lots."

"I'll think about you and Mommy everyday and I'll call as often as I can. But I want you to be a very good girl for Mommy, Nana and Papa while I'm away. Understand?"

"Yes, I do," she nodded her head.

"That's my girl."

"Oh, I gotta show you what I made for Mommy!" Emily exclaimed as she squirmed out of Mark's hold. Mark followed as his daughter ran to the kitchen. "Look!" she exclaimed. "I made Mommy a snack."

Wide-eyed, Mark looked at the now soggy Cheerios covered with orange juice. "What did you put on the Cheerios?"

"Orange juice, silly!"

"_Why_ did you put orange juice on the cereal?"

"Because I couldn't reach the milk."

- - -

TBC


	4. Sleeping With The Telephone Pt 2

**Sleeping With the Telephone Part 2**

Once Emily was busy coloring a picture for him, Mark went up the stairs to check on his wife. He opened the door silently and saw Tina sleeping on the bed. He noted her appearance. Her uniform was wrinkled, the ribbons and insignias were messed up, and he could easily note the worry lines that were on her forehead and around her mouth. Mark sat on the edge of the bed and brushed Tina's bangs away from her eyes. "Wake up, beautiful," he kissed the corner of her mouth.

She stirred slightly and mumbled something before she opened her eyes.

"I'm sorry, hon. I didn't understand that."

"Tell me it was all a dream." She demanded in a whisper.

"I wish I could."

She sighed and traced the outline of his face with her index finger. "I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you more."

A faint smile spread across her lips. "Em says that." Then she started to sit up. "Speaking of, where is Em? I was expecting to doze off like that."

"She is in her room coloring a picture for me to take with me."

"What did you tell her?"

"That I had to go to the other side of the ocean and help make sick soldiers better so that they could come home."

"How'd she take it?"

"Okay, I guess. She doesn't really understand. But," he chuckled slightly, "she said that Papa could tell them that I didn't want to go and then I could stay here."

Tina smiled sadly. "I wish my dad could do that."

"Me, too." Mark sighed heavily and ran a hand through is dark hair. "If you want to change, I'll go get Emily ready for dinner. What do you want to do for dinner?"

"Order in."

"That's fine. Now, go change."

"No way, Commander. I am not wasting one second away from you. Got that?"

"Yes, ma'am." They got off the bed and started to walk down the hallway. "I must warn you, though."

Confused, Tina stopped walking. "What?"

"Emily made you a snack."

"How sweet."

"But, like I said, I must warn you."

"What did my little chef conjure up this time? More raw spaghetti and chocolate syrup?"

"No. Cheerios and orange juice."

Tina brought a hand up to her mouth to muffle her laughter. "My goodness. What will our daughter come up with next?"

Mark shrugged sadly as he wished that he would be home to see it.

- - -

The rest of the afternoon was spent calmly. The Tate's had pizza, watched cartoons and enjoyed each other's company. But, all too soon, it was time for Mark to leave.

At promptly 7pm, Tina and Emily were seeing Mark off. Tina straightened Mark's collar and adjusted his pins for the umpteenth time since they were there. "Now, are you sure you have everything?"

"Yes."

"Don't forget to call your mother when you get there…to help settle her mind some. Emily and I will go visit her in a few weeks...Um…call me whenever…no matter what time; I'll be sure that Emily gets to speak with you, too…Uh, what else. Oh, yes. I put extra batteries in your carry on, as well as a first-aid kit, some more phone cards, and um…and, oh, stationary, a sewing kit and some more t-shirts."

Mark shifted Emily to his other hip and cupped Tina's face in his hands. "Take a breath."

A tear escaped and made its way down her cheek. "Promise me," she swallowed. "Promise me you'll come home."

"I'll come home. As soon as I can."

"Emily," Tina's voice was shaky as her trembling hands smoothed her daughter's hair. "You do understand what is going to happen, right? In two hours Daddy will be on that plane. He'll be going bye-byes for a while."

"Miss you."

"I'll miss you, too, baby. I'm gonna call you as soon as I can."

Emily wrapped her arms tightly around her Daddy's neck and said. "I wuv you lots…like tater tots!"

Tina and Mark both smiled. "Where do you come up with these things, Miss Emily, huh?" He asked as he rubbed her back. He swallowed the lump in his throat before he spoke again, "It's time for you to go to Mommy; I have to leave now."

"No," the little girl shook her head and buried it in the crook of her father's head. "I don't wanna you to goooo. Nooo!"

"We talked about this, sweetheart. I have to go."

"But, but," her bottom lip trembled. "I'm a gonna miss you!"

"I'll miss you and Mommy, too, sweat pea."

Tina sniffled. "Come to Mommy, baby." She said as she extended her arms.

"Nun-huh." Emily wrapped her wrapped her arms even tighter around her father's neck.

Mark began to pry Emily's arms away from his neck. "Go to Mommy."

"No!" Emily protested.

Once Emily was in her mother's arms, she broke into one of her rare tantrums. "Don't go, Dada! Nooo!" She began kicking and waving her arms back and forth.

Mark gave Tina a kiss. "You have to take her out. It'll be too hard if you don't."

She blinked several times trying to stop her tears. "Love you."

"And I love you."

Tina shifted Emily to her hip. "I'll see you soon, Doctor."

"You, too, Commander." With that, Mark turned on his heal and went to board the plane.

- - -

Tina stole another glance of Mark from the other side of the gate, but a kick from Emily caused her to focus her attention on her daughter. "Don't kick me," she said in her firm, yet gentle 'command' voice.

"I don't want Daddy to go," she cried.

The tears pooled around her mouth, as she answered, "I don't either."

A few seconds later, a woman came up to Tina. "Excuse me, I'm Gina Maroni. I haven't seen you here before. Are you a new Navy wife?"

"Um, no," Tina wiped her eyes. "No. Actually, my husband and I have been married for eight years, and we both are in the Navy."

"Ah, so this is the first deployment."

"Correct."

"I'm not going to lie or sugarcoat this. All deployments are hard, but the first one is usually the worst."

Tina nodded and realized that she never introduced herself. "I'm Christina Tate, by the way, and this is my daughter, Emily. Emily, say hello to Mrs. Maroni."

"Hello, Mrs..M-m-ar-oni," Emily sounded out shyly with tear stained cheeks.

The woman smiled warmly. "Hello, sweetie." Then she took a piece of paper out off her purse and jotted some things down before handing the paper to Tina. "Here is my phone number and e-mail address. Call me sometime. I also have a daughter around Emily's age; maybe they can have a play date."

Tina folded up the paper and put it in her pocket. "Thank you. I really do appreciate your kindness."

Gina smiled. "Well you are very welcome. I wish I could stay longer, but I have to go to work. I'll see you soon though."

"Alright. I'll be sure to get in touch with you sometime." She said before Gina walked away.

Suddenly, there was a chill in the air and Tina wrapped her arms a little tighter around Emily. "Let's take a ride to Nana and Papa's, Emily."


	5. Sleeping With The Telephone Pt 3

**Sleeping with the Telephone – Part 3**

_There's something like a line of gold thread running through a man's words when he talks to his daughter, and gradually over the years it gets to be long enough for you to pick up in your hands and weave into a cloth that feels like love itself. -John Gregory Brown_

_What the daughter does, the mother did. ~Jewish Proverb_

Rabb Residence

Rosslyn, VA

2045 EST

Tina lost track of the time. It almost seemed as if she had no sense of time at all. She couldn't figure out how long she had been sitting in her parents' driveway. 'Face it', she thought, 'there are a lot of things you can't figure out. Life is too damn confusing.' While she tried to shake her thoughts away, Tina turned in her seat and checked on Emily, who was sleeping soundly in her car seat. "Wake up, baby. We're here. We're at Nana and Papa's house." Emily didn't move. "Oh, come on, sweetie. Please wake up." She carefully studied her daughter's appearance. Her cheeks were a pinkish-red shade and her still closed eyes were puffy from crying. Tina took a deep breath and then turned around to study her own appearance, and she almost didn't recognize her own reflection. The woman staring back at her looked old, ragged, and tired. Not anything like herself.

Harm had just finished putting the final touches of yellow paint on his most recent model airplane. Never in a million years, would he have pictured himself retiring and spending his days making model planes. 'Let's face it, Marine,' he recalled saying to Mac shortly after they retired, 'being retired sucks.' And his wife had agreed. But now, Mac had found things to do with her time, and Harm was proud of her. A year or so ago, Mac began looking after Jane, the elderly woman next-door. Jane has been widowed for the past fifteen years, and her grown children spent little time to make sure their mother was okay. When Mac found out, she promised Jane that she and her husband would always be there for her. All she had to do was call. Harm smiled, yes, he thought. His wife always knew the right thing to do.

Just as Harm began cleaning his paintbrushes, the doorbell rang. "Who could that be?" His words seemed to linger in the silence of the house. Then, he figured it was Mac. She probably had too many shopping bags in her hands and couldn't open the door. Yes, that must be it. "Coming!" he called as he wiped his hands on a paper towel.

"Tina!" Harm exclaimed after he opened the front door. He quickly noted her appearance. Her uniform and jacket were wrinkled, sections of hair were hanging out of her usually perfect bun, and her make up was smeared in places across her face. "What's wrong, honey?"

"Oh, Daddy," she whispered. "My life is such a mess."

His daughter looked so fragile and exhausted. Harm thought for sure that she might fall at any given second. This wasn't daughter he knew. Something terrible happened. But what? "Has she been asleep long?" he asked as he took Emily from Tina's arms.

At the loss of Emily's weight in her arms, Tina thought she would tip over. She wondered for a second, if her daughter was the only thing holding to the ground. "Yes…no…I don't know!" She threw her arms up in frustration. "I don't know anything anymore!"

Harm led his daughter down the foyer, into the family room and to the couch. "I'm going to put Emily down upstairs, and when I come back, we'll talk about whatever it is that is wrong. Okay?"

Tina nodded. Once Harm was midway up the stairs, she spoke. "Is Mom home?"

"No. She took the neighbor to the grocery store. She should be home soon.

"Oh," she whispered softly. "I see."

Several moments later, Harm returned and took a seat next to his daughter. He saw that Christina was looking at the family photo albums from when she was a child – just a bit older than Emily was now.

"Is Emily okay?"

"Yes," Harm answered. "She's out like a light."

"Good," Tina took a deep breath. "She needs her rest." She ran her fingers over a picture in the album. It was a picture of herself, no older than five-years old, her mother and her father. In the picture, they were standing by the reflection pool across from the Lincoln Memorial. Both her parents were in uniform and they were holding her between them. She also was proudly wearing her father's Navy cover. The colors off the autumn leaves in the background added a sense of timelessness to the image. It was certainly one of her favorite photos. "I want to be happy like that again."

"Why aren't you happy now?" Harm asked gently.

She scoffed. She didn't want to talk about it, but she new that her father was just as stubborn as she was and that he wouldn't stop until she told him what was bothering her. "My life is a mess. That's why," she answered angrily through clenched teeth. "You wouldn't be happy if your life was a mess. Would you?"

He dismissed her last comment. "Does this have to do with Mark?"

"Kind of, I guess."

"Did you guys have a fight?"

"Not exactly."

Harm took a deep breath, gathering his thoughts. "Did he hurt you? Did he hurt Emily?"

"No!" She exclaimed as she stood up from the couch. "God, no! Absolutely not! He would never hurt me or Emily…intentionally."

"Tina, honey," Harm said in a calm, soothing voice. "I am trying very hard to figure out what is wrong is wrong, but I'm not as sharp as I used to be."

"Have you ever had your life turned upside down? Your heart...stop…your heart stop beating?"

"Yes. Yes, I have," her father answered honestly. "Several times, actually."

"How did you get past that?"

"We take things one step at a time."

"Mark was deployed." The words rushed out quickly like a water fall. "And I have no idea what to do." She made no attempt to stop her tears from falling. She simply did not care anymore.

Harm quickly stood up and enveloped his daughter into a hug. "It's okay," he whispered before kissing her temple. "Go ahead and cry. Let it out. Sometimes you just need to cry."

Tina sniffled. "I'm so scared. I'm petrified." She admitted in a shaky voice.

"That's normal, Tina. You should feel that way." There was a long pause while they sat down on the couch. "When did this happen?"

"Less than an hour ago, he boarded the plane. He doesn't know how long. I guess there was a shortage of military doctors." She took off her wedding ring and held it tightly in the palm of her closed fist.

"Does Emily understand?"

"To a degree. She asked Mark why Papa couldn't tell them he should stay here."

"I wish it could be that easy."

"Oh, so do I."

"How did she handle the seeing off?"

"Just as I had assumed. When she realized that it was all…'for real' she began clinging to Mark and refusing to let go – begging him not to leave. When he told her that it was time for him to leave and that she had to come to me, Emily had a tantrum. Dad, Em rarely has tantrums! My baby was upset and I didn't know how to make it better!" She practically jumped off the couch. "I have to go check on my daughter. Excuse me," and with that, she quickly made her way up the stairs.

Sparkle Market

Rosslyn, VA

2125

Mac shook her head as she dodged people in the aisle. She never would have imagined that the grocery store would be this crowded at night. She sighed. Of course there were people standing in the center of the aisle she needed to go down….again. 'This must be why Harm used to do the shopping', she mused. 'I'm a Marine on a mission, and he's a squid who has more patience than me in a store.' She shook her head again and went to find an aisle that she could actually walk through.

However, she smiled when her cell phone started playing 'Come Fly With Me'. Today's generation might consider it an 'oldie' but it was a song she and Harm had held near to their hearts through the years. "Miss me, sailor?" she asked when she answered her phone.

"I always miss you when we aren't together."

"I know how you feel."

"Hey, are you still at the grocery store?"

"Yes, I am. Do you need something?"

"Actually, I do."

Mac tossed a box of cake mix in her shopping cart. "Shoot."

"Can you pick up some red apples and those containers of melted caramel that you heat in the microwave?"

"That's what we used to make for Tina years ago. I think it turned into a comfort food for her."

"Yes, I know. That's why I need you to get some."

Mac stopped pushing her cart and pulled it to the side of a surprisingly empty aisle. "Harm, what's going on?"

"Mark was deployed today."

Mac felt the air rush out of her lungs. "H-how's Tina?"

"As well as to be expected."

Mac began pushing her cart again. "I'll be home as soon as I can. Tell Tina I love her and I'll see her soon."

"Of course I will. I love you."

"Love you, too." Mac closed her phone and stuck it back in her purse. She started pushing through the crowds of people in the store. She was on a pursuit to find Jane and then go home. Her daughter and her granddaughter needed her.

Rabb Residence

2132

When Tina returned to the kitchen, she saw that her father was cleaning his paintbrushes. "Oh," she stopped a few feet away. "You were making a model when Emily and I arrived. I'm sorry," she apologized. "We didn't mean to interrupt you."

"I finished just before you rang the doorbell," Harm replied. "And, for the record, even if I hadn't, I would not have considered your visit to be an 'interruption'. My family is never an interruption."

"But still," Tina started. "The least I can do is help you clean up."

"No. You should relax."

"I don't think I'll be able to relax until I know my husband is coming home safely."

Harm knew she was correct. He always worried about Mac when she was TAD – even if she was on the Seahawk or the Patrick Henry. If there was one thing he learned from all his years in the Navy, it would be: danger can strike at any given second. "Okay. You can help."

"Thanks, Dad."

As they began washing the brushes, Harm remembered when he and Christina made their first model plane together. "Are you and I thinking about the same thing?"

When Tina looked at him, Harm saw the familiar sparkle in her eyes that he hasn't seen all evening. "I think so."

"The first time we made a model airplane?"

"Yes, sir."

Knowing it would be a good distraction, Harm decided to pursue the conversation. "What do you remember about that day?"

"Most of it."

"Tell me what you remember."

"Well, it was the day before my seventh birthday, and we bought the model that day when you and Mom took me to the Air and Space Museum."

He nodded. "Mmhm."

Tina began to dry one of the brushes. "I remember that as we started to clean the paintbrushes, Mom came home from taking the dog, it was the German Sheppard…Hershey, on his walk. There was a bottle of blue paint sitting on the edge kitchen table, and when Mom gave Hershey his treat, he knocked the bottle over. Then, Hershey ran in the puddle of blue paint and jumped on Mom!"

Harm laughed as he remembered the event. "Mom wasn't very happy about that."

"She wasn't; and you didn't make things much better when you sprayed her with water!"

He grinned sheepishly. "I thought for she would have made me sleep on the couch after I did that."

"I know," Tina agreed. "Mom sure was upset. But then, I remember she splashed the paint at you and before we knew it, there was a full-blown paint fight it the kitchen!

"It was fun, wasn't?"

"You bet it was! I certainly had the cool parents. None of my friends' parents would have ever done that."

"Well, we all need to have some fun every now and then. It's part of life." Harm suddenly realized he forgot to pass Mac's message along to Tina. "I called mom when you went to check on Emily."

"Oh?"

"She said that she loves you, and she'll be home as soon as she can. Which I'm guessing will be within the next ten minutes."

Rabb Residence

2202

Fifteen minutes later, Mac stood in the garage with her groceries in hand, struggling to open the door. After managing to turn the knob with her left hand and nudge the door open with her foot, she stepped inside and practically dropped her bags on the floor.

At the sound the bags made hitting the floor, Tina and Harm, who were each drinking a cup of coffee, snapped their heads around.

"Oh, Christina," Mac began as she walked over to her daughter, arms wide open. "I got here as soon as I could."

"Mom," Tina stepped in to her mother's embrace. "Oh, Mom."

Mac wrapped her arms around her daughter. "You'll be okay. Mark will be okay. Emily will be okay." Tina didn't respond. "You know what? Let's go sit down in the other room." Tina nodded slowly against her shoulder. "Good. Oh, and Harm," Mac added while leaving the kitchen, "the groceries you asked for are in the white bag."

He winked at her. "I'll start it now."

"It's okay to cry," Mac said when they sat down on the couch. "Sometimes you have to let it all out."

She wiped her eyes with a rolled up tissue. "That's what Dad said –exactly what Dad said."

"Well, it doesn't surprise me. Your father is a very smart man."

Tina sniffled. "It's just…I…I don't think I've ever cried this much before in my life!"

"Way before your time, there was a show I used to enjoy watching. 'Hunter' was the name of it. It was about two LAPD Homicide detectives – Sgt. Rick Hunter and his partner, Sgt. Dee Dee McCall. The department dubbed the nickname 'The Brass Cupcake' for Dee Dee. Do you have any idea why?"

Tina shook her head, "No, no I do not."

"They called her The Brass Cupcake because she was tough on the outside and soft on the center. Like us. Just because I was in the Marine Corps and you are in the Navy doesn't mean that we shouldn't cry at times."

"You know…this is so different from the TADs you and Dad went on."

"Of course it is," Mac smoothed Tina's hair.

"I was so young when you and Dad went away…so naive. I didn't understand the dangers." There was a pause. "Mom, I don't know how to deal with this."

Mac's eyes lit up. "Stay here with us!"

"I couldn't impose on you like that. Besides, Mark promised me he'll call. I have to be home for that. I cannot miss his call."

"He'll call here, too. I know he will." Mac offered, know that Tina still wasn't think clearly. Of course when Mark called he would call Tina on her cell phone rather than the home phone.

"Listen, to me, honey," Mac took Tina's hands in hers. "I've never lied to you and I sure won't start now. It will be hard at first. The house will suddenly seem too quiet. You won't know how to act."

Mac flashed back to Harm's first TAD since Tina born- she was just four months old at the time. Harm spent three months on the Patrick Henry, and while he was away, Mac became incredibly overwhelmed. She realized she was solely responsible of their daughter's well – being and little things began to bother her. The house was too quiet, their bed was too cold. She missed his stops in her office just to say 'I love you' or 'Have a great day'. Mac recalled being so overwhelmed that she poured a glass of Vodka and stared at it for hours. She almost drank it, too. She probably would have, if her precious daughter didn't cry. But when Tina cried, and Mac looked into her eyes, she realized that she had never been happier before in her life. She had all she ever wanted. A great man, a good career, a baby daughter, and lots of comfortable shoes. To this day, Mac figured that if Tina didn't cry out, the Vodka would have gone down her throat rather than the drain.

Mac cleared her throat while bringing herself back to present day. "I know that from experience. Please, stay with us."

Tina hesitated. "I – I don't know."

"Please. Don't make me beg," Mac laughed softly attempting to lighten the mood. "You know I would."

"Oh, okay," Tina sighed. "We will stay here."

"Great!" Mac clapped her hands together. "You and Em will love it!"

"Love what?" Harm asked as he entered the living room with the tray of apple slices and melted caramel.

"Christina and Emily are going to stay with us for awhile," Mac answered enthusiastically.

"I think that's wonderful," Harm smiled and set the try down on the coffee table in front of Tina.

"Apples and caramel?" she asked. "I haven't had this since before Emily was born."

Mac smiled. "When Dad called, he asked me to pick it up. We both remember how much you loved it growing up."

"Thank you," Tina said to both of her parents as she dipped an apple slice in the hot caramel. "You guys always know how to make me feel better."

=== ===  
TBC  
=== ===


	6. We Take A Break From Our Planned Chapter

**I'm Already There**

_We take a break from our regularly scheduled story for a special Christmas piece – I wrote this on Christmas Eve, but I never posted it here before! Sorry! _

_Summary – Short and to the point as Tina prepares for Emily's first Christmas while her father is overseas._

_Rating – K_

_Disclaimer – Maybe if I owned this or even something like JAG: The Second Generation, you would see this on your TV screens, but since you don't, that means they aren't mine! _

_This one is dedicated to all the military men and women in the field and on the home front, and especially to the military members of my family. We love you and can't wait to see you when you come home!_

_And please excuse the typos, I wasn't planning on writing anything, but I got this idea this morning and I wanted to get it posted today. _

It was December 24, and Tina tried to treat it as any other day, but she couldn't. Mark was still away, and it broke her heart that their daughter wouldn't get to spend Christmas with both her parents like it had always been before.

A few weeks after Mark's deployment, Tina and Emily returned home, but her mother was right. The house was to quiet, too empty, their bed was too cold, and slowly the scent of him evaporated from his pillow, which in part she assumed was because of how much she cried with that pillow.

It was hard to deal with, but she handled it a little bit better each day and thanked God that Mark wasn't the kind of officer who was deployed so often that he only saw his family twice a year – well, hopefully.

Although, when December approached, Tina became very overwhelmed and decided it would be best if they stayed with her parents until after the first of the year.

Her parents – her rock. The two people who meant the world to her, and she didn't know what she would do without them.

Speaking of her parents, Tina had to smile when she walked down the stairs and saw them kissing under the mistletoe. It warmed her heart to know that they were still so much in love after all those years. That's what she wanted to have with Mark…God willing.

"Maybe you two should get a room," she joked.

Mac blushed as she wiped her lipstick away from Harm's lips. "Sorry."

"Yeah, I'm sure," Tina laughed as she walked into the kitchen.

Harm and Mac followed her to the kitchen. "Are you sure you don't want to go to The Wall with me?"

Mac shook her head, "Not tonight. This is your night to go. And besides, I'm still getting over this cold."

"Tina?" He asked. "Do you want to come?"

Tina saw images of The Wall flash across her eyes—all those names, all those men who never came home, all those families who didn't get closure, people who lived like her dad did. "No, I'm not really feeling up to that just yet."

He nodded, "Okay, I understand. What if I asked Emily?"

"Harm," Mac said, "are you sure that's a good idea? She's still so young and this would be her first time there. "

Tina sighed, "If she wants to go, then yes, she can. But Dad, if she asks a lot of questions, sugarcoat it, will you? I don't want her to get upset and worry that Mark won't come home, you know?"

"I know, and I understand. I promise you I won't say anything to upset her or worry her."

She nodded. "You always keep your promises. I'll go get Emily ready."

*** ***  
"Emily," Tina knocked on the door as she opened, "Mommy needs to talk to you."

"Mommy!" She shrieked. "Shut your eyes! Ima makin' your present."

"Oh, I'm sorry!" She covered her eyes. "Tell me when I can look."

Emily quickly slid the drawing under her bed. "Okay. You can looks."

"I have a question for you," Tina started as she sat on the floor. "How would you like to go somewhere very special with Papa?-….just you and Papa."

Emily's eyes grew wide. "Me? I gets to go somewhere with Papa that's special?"

"Yeah," her mother nodded, "Papa wants you to go, but only if you want to."

"Oh, I wanna go, Mommy. I really, really do! We are we going?"

"He's going to take you to meet his daddy."

Emily frowned. "He must be really, really old."

Tina chuckled, she couldn't help it. "He died a long time ago."

"Then how do I meet him?"

"Well, do remember when Grandma Trish died and we went to the cemetery to visit her and put flowers down?" Emily nodded. "Well, it's kind of like that except it's a really big wall with lots of names of people who were missing for a long time."

"Why was he missing? Did he get lost?"

"Yes."

"Did he ever come home?"

"Umm, no, sweetie. No."

"Why not? Didn't he want to?"

"Oh, he really wanted to come home, but it was too hard to find is way. They, ummm, well, they didn't have GPSes back then and it was just too hard." Tina could tell that Emily's little brain was trying to process that. "I know it's really confusing, but you'll understand more when you are a little bit older."

"When are we going?" Emily asked, nearly jumping up and down.

"Right now, so let's get your coat and boots on."

Tina helped Emily get ready, and then she was quickly running down the stairs to find her papa.

"Ima ready!" She exclaimed when she came to a halt in front of Harm. "Are we goin' now?"

"Yes, we are." The two of them walked to the door. "We won't be gone long," Harm said before they stepped out of the house.

*** ***  
The National Mall  
1815 EST  
*** ***

"Wow!" Emily exclaimed as they approached the wall. "It's really, really big!"

"Yes, it is," Harm agreed.

"Is your daddy's name on it?"

"Yes. I'll show you." They walked down a little bit and came to stop in front of the section with Harm Sr.'s name on it. "Here," Harm opened his arms, "I'll pick you up so you can see it better."

Emily jumped into her grandfather's arms. "Which one?"

"This one," Harm pointed to it.

Emily placed her hand over Harm's. "H-A-R-M-O-N R-A-B-B. Hey! That's how you spell YOUR name."

"Yeah, my dad and I had the same name."

"That's cool!"

"I suppose it is."

"My mommy said that his name is on here because he got lost."

Harm nodded. "That's right."

"Did you miss him? Did Grandma Trish miss him?"

"Yes, we missed him very, very much."

Emily dropped her head. "I miss my daddy, too."

Harm patted her back. "It's okay to miss him – everyone misses him, too."

Emily sniffled. "We won't get losts will he?"

"No," Harm said. "He's a doctor. He works in a hospital, remember?" Emily nodded. "He'll be home, okay?"

"Yeah."

"I don't believe it," a voice called. "Commander Rabb!"

Harm turned around, it was long time since he left the Navy and an even longer time since he was a Commander. "Yes?"

"You don't remember me, do you?"

"Um, no, I'm afraid not, but if you give me a name, that might help."

"I'm Lt. Clarence, or was a Lieutenant at one time, you gave me your…."

"…wings," Harm finished. "Yes, I remember now! You wanted to be a Blue Angel, how'd that work out for you?"

"It did! That was the best six years of my life."

"I'm glad," he smiled widely. "And your friend that you were here to help -?"

"He's living the life, sir!"

"Fantastic!"

"You know, I tried to come here every year because I wanted to return these to you." He opened his pocket and pulled out the gold wings that Harm gave him many years ago. "Who would have known that well after twenty years I would get that chance, huh?"

Harm took the wings and traced his fingers over them. "You could have kept these as they were your first wings."

Clarence shook his head. "No, they belong to you."

"Well, thank you. It means a lot. And, I think now they belong to Miss Emily."

Emily's eyes grew wide. "I gets to have wings like you and mommy! Yay!"

Harm smiled as he pinned them on her winter coat. "You're a lucky girl." Then he turned to the man in front of him. "Captain," he said after noting the bars on his hat, "I would like you to meet my granddaughter, Emily. Emily, this is Captain Clarence, I met him a long time ago, right here at this very spot."

"It's very nice to meet you, Emily."

"Hiya!" She said. "My daddy has a uniform like that."

"Oh, he does?"

"Yeah, but he's far away helping sick soldiers get better so they can come home."

"Do you know what that means? It means your daddy is a hero."

Emily nodded her head. "Yes ,he is!"

It was silent for a moment when the bells on the wreath behind them rang. "Déjà vu, huh?" Captain Clarence asked.

"Yeah," Harm chuckled, "it is."

"Well, I'll let you two carry on. Merry Christmas!"

"Merry Christmas!" Harm and Emily said before he left.

*** ***  
Rabb Household

1906 EST  
*** ***

As soon as Tina heard her cell phone ring, she literally dumped everything out of her purse so she could get to it in time. "Hello?"

"Merry Christmas, gorgeous!"

"Mark! Hi, Merry Christmas, I love you!" She said all in one breath.

_He called her on the road  
From a lonely cold hotel room  
Just to hear her say I love you one more time_

"I miss you."

"We miss you, too. How is it there?" Tina asked as she began to walk into the family room. She couldn't help but to smile when she heard the sound of Emily's laughter as she was telling her nana a story.

"It's the same. I'm okay and hope I can come home soon."

_And when he heard the sound  
Of the kids laughing in the background  
He had to wipe away a tear from his eye_

"You will," Tina said. "You will. Emily!" She called. "Someone wants to talk to you."

Emily took the cell phone from her mother. "Hi!"

"Hi, baby."

"Daddy! When are you gonna come home? I miss you!"

_A little voice came on the phone  
And said "Daddy when you coming home"  
He said the first thing that came to his mind_

Mark blinked back a few tears. "I'm already there. I'm with you all the time."

_I'm already there  
Take a look around  
I'm the sunshine in your hair  
I'm the shadow on the ground  
I'm the whisper in the wind  
I'm your imaginary friend  
And I know I'm in your prayers  
Oh I'm already there_

"I love you, Daddy. Come home soon."

"I love you so much, ladybug, and I'll be home as soon as I can."

Tina took the phone back. "I really miss you."

_She got back on the phone  
Said I really miss you darling  
Don't worry about the kids they'll be alright  
Wish I was in your arms  
Lying right there beside you  
But I know that I'll be in your dreams tonight  
And I'll gently kiss your lips  
Touch you with my fingertips  
So turn out the light and close your eyes_

"I'm there with you." They both said at the same time.

"I know."

"I know, too."

_I'm already there  
Don't make a sound  
I'm the beat in your heart  
I'm the moonlight shining down  
I'm the whisper in the wind  
And I'll be there until the end  
Can you feel the love that we share  
Oh I'm already there_

We may be a thousand miles apart  
But I'll be with you wherever you are

I'm already there  
Take a look around  
I'm the sunshine in your hair  
I'm the shadow on the ground  
I'm the whisper in the wind  
And I'll be there until the end  
Can you feel the love that we share  
Oh I'm already there  
Oh I'm already there

"I have to go now," Mark said gently.

"Okay," she whispered. "I love you."

"I love you, too," was the last thing he said before the line went silent.

Tina slowly closed her phone and kneeled down as she watched Emily pick out which present she wanted to open that night.

Mac placed her hand on Tina's shoulder. "He's always with you and Emily, sweetheart. Always."

Tina nodded slowly, trying not to cry. "I know." She glanced up at the picture on the fireplace. "I know. No matter where I go or what I do, he's always in my heart."

Mac nodded. "Yes, he is. - All of our military heroes are."

A/N – Please don't forget our troops when you are enjoying your holiday. And if you pray, maybe say an extra one for them and their families. They are true heroes, and it's certainly hard on them and their families while they are away fighting for our freedoms.


End file.
